The story of Mr Sparrow
by supporter 985
Summary: When a group of workers for a greedy king rebel they stumble upon a man who holds the key to future peace. Will a cruel king sabotage everything for the sake of power? Will a dangerous and violent cult successfully carry out a coup? Will allies be enemies? Will enemies be allies?


Chapter 1

**A/N: So this story is set in a technic-like world. I view default Minecraft as a sort of simple dark ages level technology, with the technology added by technic ranging from say- Renaissance-level technology all the way to future technology. I would say that all the major kingdoms/governments of this world have technology comparable to eighteenth century tech- maybe early industrial era tech- with a notable exception- but the man who will become the protagonist, Mr. Sparrow, has the aforementioned future technology. Enjoy.**

**Oh, I'm not sure about the rating. For now it's M but I'm not sure if the violence in this chapter is enough to warrant that rating and I'm not sure how much violence there will be in future chapters. There will be some but probably not a lot. Comments and criticisms would help.**

* * *

Mark Curbin was the leader of unit 57708. To the west the bright sun sank into the earth, burnishing the sky an almost crimson. A dry wind blew through the quarry as Mark and his unit traversed the long, treacherous stairs back to the base. A few trees were visible at the top of the quarry

The stairs were carved into the rock face of the side of the quarry. That was part of the reason the unit 57708 had one of the lowest death rates of all the units that the king sent out. The stairs also had a wooden guardrail on the side facing the sheer drop into the quarry. Most quarries had rickety wooden stairs, some of them partially rotten, that sent a man to his death almost every week.

Mark's unit also had a very low death-by-monster rate. A part of that was the kings careful and strict safety protocols. Another part was Mark's own safety priorities. He made sure that everywhere was carefully lit up. If the miner team uncovered a dark cavern then Mark recalled them and went in with a fighter team to dispatch the dark things that would almost certainly be in the cavern and to place lights within. Mark also made certain that no one left the base at night.

They had made it back to the base. As he and his unit moved into the sleeping barracks Mark pondered his life and the lives of his men. Most of them came from extreme poverty. They worked at remote bases gathering resources such as stone, marble, various ores, and even lumber for the king. They were paid but since they did not need the money while on base it was put in a account in the workers name unless otherwise specified. Many sent their wage home to their families.

It was a hard life. Every unit was made of six workers. There were two miners, two fighters, an engineer, and a leader. They went to a remote base for three months, worked, and returned to their families. Then they applied for work again. Usually there were no shortage jobs. People died at the remote bases everyday but being out in the wilderness was dangerous.

When any of the men under the leader died he sent back word with the transports that came to pick up the weeks take. If the leader died the engineer sent word. When word reached the offices of resource management a new worker was sent to the remote base. Sometimes whole units were killed all at once in slides, or lava wells, or an invasion of the dark things. When that happened it wasn't discovered until the transporter came and discovered no one was there to load the shipment.

Mark had elected to work longer than the three month period. So had all but one of his fighters. Mark hadn't lost a man in almost nine months. His engineer was a large gruff man named Robert Shelder. One of his fighters was a short but wiry man named Hersero Bluff. His miners were both dwarves. The dwarves didn't need the money but seemed to enjoy the work.

Then there was his other fighter, Emma Ward. He had been working a lumber operation down by the border, close to South Kingstown. He had been a fighter then and the leader there ran things differently. They made almost nightly raids into the surrounding area, killing whatever monsters they could find. One night Mark had heard a shout from a copse of trees. Upon entering the area Mark had discovered a young woman who had fallen and hurt herself. He had taken her back to the base.

Emma Ward had forgotten who she had been. Whomever she had been, no one had looked for her. Over the course of several months Mark taught her to fight and mine because she had wanted to stay and that was all he knew. Now she had been working as a fighter for nearly five years. Three of those years she had been working with Mark.

She was beautiful. She hadn't been a fighter when Mark found her. She had been soft and weak but beautiful. After five years of hard demanding work Emma had become harder than steel. She was still beautiful but it was a different kind of beauty.

Mark, laying on his bunk, drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The day was bright. The sun mercilessly beat down on the quarry. His fighters stood idly stood to one side. The dwarves were furiously swinging their picks. Mark walked away from the group slightly to consult with Robert, his engineer.

While discussing plans for support structures to minimize the chance of rock-slides one for the dwarves gave a shout. When Mark walked over he saw the cause of the commotion. There were twelve large diamonds. Twelve. In all his time he had never seen that many diamonds in one vein.

Diamonds meant he had to leave the job for a while. There were rules concerning what to do if diamonds are found. If it was just one it could wait for the transport. If it was more than one and the transport was coming the next day they would wait for a transport. If it was more than one day then the leader and one of his fighters had to take the diamonds to the capital city, Angelmore, of the kingdom of Onelaf. The transport wasn't set to come for four days.

* * *

The very next day Mark and Emma Ward were in the emergency transport that was kept at the base. The sun had just risen, peaking through the leaves and trunks of the forest they were passing. Despite the fact that the base was quite remote the transports, machines of steam and stone and steel, traveled quickly and they would be to Angelmore within the day.

Mark looked over at Emma, who had a loaded musket across her lap. He couldn't believe his good fortune. He returned his attention to piloting the transport.

* * *

They had reached the outskirts of Angelmore. It was worse than ever. Families sat huddled in huts made of wood and dirt. Seedy pubs and vendors lined the streets. People were selling everything they owned in the hopes of being able to eat again.

"This place is worse than ever. What happened? Thirty years ago Angelmore was the richest city of one of the richest kingdoms in the world" Emma said despondently.

"Ten years of war, a greedy king, and greedier merchants."

Emma didn't respond to this, just looked sadly at the poor people. If it wasn't for the high demand of fighters she'd be right there with them.

"You know what?" Emma looked over to Mark at this. "No one knows about these diamonds. We don't need to turn them in straight away."

"What are you proposing?"

"Just that we find a nice...er pub to sit in for a while." Said Mark as he stared out of the transport at yet another seedy pub, with a dead man lying out front of it."

"Sure."

* * *

That sat and talked over drinks in a well-to-do pub in the hill district of Angelmore. Mark always had an easy time talking to his best fighter. With her conversation flowed. After some three hours Mark remembered he had business to take care of.

"Emma, I've got some personal business to attend to while we are in the city. Do you mind if I left you and returned here in a few hours?"

"No, go ahead."

Mark said goodbye, walked through the door, and went to meet the chief advisor of Angelmore.

* * *

Emma Ward sat alone in the pub. She thought of all the pain and all the death that now haunted this city. She was lucky enough to find work. If she couldn't she'd be out there with all the rest, starving on the street.

There was a time, a time she was not old enough to remember, when Onelaf had been prosperous. Then there had been the great war. The kings father, King Odyi II, had bankrupted the kingdom to fight the war. Now people were destitute, forced to work for the king in mines or forests or as soldiers. If you didn't work for the king then you were either a wealthy merchant or you were starving.

Emma was awakened from these musings by a sudden commotion outside. She went to look and discovered a large number of people moving to the east. She decided to follow the crowd.

After five minutes of walking she saw why a crowd was gathering. In the middle of an open square in the city was a gallows. On that gallows stood a headsman and an old, grandmotherly woman.

Emma Ward knew that woman.

* * *

A younger, less muscled version of Emma Ward had wandered the streets of Angelmore some four and a half years ago. Three months after Curbin had found and trained her his job had ended. They had traveled to Angelmore together and Mark applied for more work. He'd gotten it and he had no choice but to go. He'd offered to take her with him but Emma had decided that he couldn't be her crutch forever. She had needed to find work on her own.

Emma had applied but a woman working in a remote base was rare, and a woman fighter might have been nonexistent. No one would hire her. She was left to wander the streets to starve. Luck and a kind woman had saved her from certain death.

Emma had worn a sword and dagger in those days. She had been wandering past a store when she saw an old woman being accosted by a gang of rough, and probably starving, men. She had drawn a sword in one hand and her dagger in another.

The first man had never seen her coming and despite her atrophied muscles the sword plunged through his right side. She used his momentum as he fell forward to help remove the blade. Another of the group charged her. Emma noted he had no weapons.

Emma sidestepped the mans clumsy charge and tripped him. As he fell forward she drove the dagger through the back of his neck. She spun to face the third man to discover him running down the road. She knelt and retrieved her dagger. Neither of the men had died, though the man with the hole in his neck could not scream. Blood was everywhere. Emma tore a strip of unbloodied cloth from the dying men to try and clean her blades.

Emma turned again and discovered that the old woman still stood there. She was dressed in a flowing tunic with a richly embroidered bonnet.

"Please come with me"

"Come where?" Emma was wary, and perhaps rightly so, about the rich of the city.

"I...I have to reward to for saving my life" The old woman stared directly at her, perhaps to avoid looking at the dying men.

Emma had gone with the woman to a fantastic manse. She discovered the old woman lived alone with an army of servants. The old woman let her into her home, cared for her, fed her. When Emma had regained her strength the old woman, whose name was Josie, hired a fighter instructor. Mark Curbin had been a good and clever fighter but this man possessed a finesse and grace and skill that came from years of careful practice.

Josie had offered Emma Ward a place in her household or perhaps even a place of honor in the hierarchy of the Kingdom. She, and her children, could be lords or barons. It had taken a good deal of strength but Emma had declined and left Josie's care to work at remote bases. She hadn't seen Josie since the day she had left.

Now Josie stood on a gallows.

* * *

A stately and well dressed man held a paper in one hand, standing before the gallows

"One Josie Antell had been found guilty of the following crimes. High treason, attempted regicide, a failed coup against the crown, and espionage. The punishment for these crimes is death." The man went on to give a longer account of the aforementioned crimes. The kings titles were said.

Emma suddenly bolted to action as she saw the headsman grab the noose. She ran through the crowd pushing and shoving. She was two-hundred feet away when the headsman put the noose around Josies neck. She was fifty feet away when the trapdoor opened.

Josie was likely already dead but Emma had to see for herself. When she was a dozen feet away from the gallows she had entered the peopleless area that radiated outward from the gallows. She was nearly to the now almost certainly dead Josie when a soldier grabbed her a threw her back. She moved to strike at him when one of the peasants behind her grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Another came to help him. She heard someone say "It's not worth it dear."

After she was safely away they let her go. She fell to her knees and wept. After sometime the crowd dispersed. Emma stood and looked at the still hanging body of her friend. She turned and walked away.

* * *

Mark turned and looked as Emma walked through the door. It was obvious that she had been crying.

Mark said Emma's name only to be cut off by "Do you still have the diamonds?"

"Yeah, I was going to turn them in tomorrow morning."

Emma turned to walk out the door. "Come on."

Mark followed her out to the transport. "Hey, what's going on?"

"Are you coming?"

"Where are you going?"

"Back to our base."

"We have to deliver the diamonds."

"To hell with the King. We're keeping the diamonds. We haven't reported them yet. The king will never know."

Mark wanted to protest but couldn't find it in himself.

"Are you coming?"

"I'm not sure."

"At least give me the diamonds. You can report me if you want."

Mark looked up at her sitting in the transport. He climbed in.

* * *

They reached the base early the next morning. They hadn't slept. Robert, the engineer, and one of the dwarves was standing outside

"Yer back already?"

"Something came up." Robert began to ask what had come up but was silenced by a dark look from Emma.

"Well, then, you won't believe this. After you left we struck another vein of diamonds. A massive one."

"How massive?"

"Enough to outfit three men in full diamond armor and make a full set of weapons for four or five more."

"That's...That's something."

Robert looked strangely at Mark. Emma had walked inside the base. "What exactly happened in Angelmore?"

"I don't know."

When Mark, one of the dwarves, and Robert entered the base they found the other three seated around the table.

Emma looked up and began to speak. "In...In Angelmore I watched a good friend of mine….d-die by the kings _false_ justice. I'm tired of the pain, of the poverty, of the death. I'm tired of a rich king lavishing in wealth while good people starve. I'm done. I want more." Emma stopped and glared at everyone, as if daring them to challenge her.

Suddenly one of the dwarves spoke up. "What are ye proposing?"

"That we use the diamonds we found to equip ourselves and...fight this corruption."

Robert looked up from the floor. "I can do that."

Both the dwarves nodded an affirmative

Hersero Bluff, the other fighter, gave a wolfish grin. "Gladly."

Suddenly everyone in the room was looking at Mark. "I...alright."

Robert walked to his crafting room.

* * *

Mark lay on his cot and thought about that days strange events. He was surprised how quickly everyone agreed so quickly. Robert always seemed like an authority man. Mark didn't know Bluff very well but he seemed to almost enjoy violence, so Mark wasn't surprised he had agreed.

He was surprised that the dwarves had agreed. Sure, unit 57708 had a strong sense of community. It was almost like familial ties. The dwarves however, had a clan somewhere, in some mountain or mine. The only reason they came to the kingdom of Onelaf was the work. They loved the work. Maybe these dwarves were outlaws from their people. In truth, Mark did not know. He rolled over and fell asleep.

* * *

The next day all of them were back in the communal area, around the same table where they'd hatched rebellion. A map was laid across it.

Robert was speaking now. He pointed to a small dot on the map. "This is the nearest target to us. It is a compound owned by a wealthy merchant. His name is Skylark or something." The dot was roughly five miles from the base. "I've seen it before. Never have seen any guards on the walls. If we hit the compound after dark they'll never see us coming."

Mark spoke up now. "After this there is no turning back. We are the resistance. After this we will be hunted and hailed as heroes. After this the world changes."

Emma gave him a sarcastic smile. "I'd no idea you were prone to dramatic speeches." Mark just shrugged.

Robert spoke up again. "Everythings ready."

"Let's go then."

* * *

They all loaded up in the emergency transport. Bluff, Emma, and Mark all wore sets of diamond armor. Everyone else had iron. The two fighters and the fighter-turned-unit leader all had diamond swords and daggers. The dwarves both had Halberds. Robert had a flail. All of them but the dwarves had muskets. Emma also carried a blunderbuss.

They were upon the compound now. The sun had been down for two hours. Robert shift a lever and the transport began to slow. It came to a rest next to the wall. All of the party climbed from on top of the transport, over the wall, and into the compound.

They stood on a path of smoothed cobblestones. There were a collection of small buildings along that path. About halfway up the path it forked. Mark was fairly that one fork led to a small garden. The other led to the main compound building.

"Alright. Bluff, Robert search the buildings here. Dwarves, stay with me. Emma, follow the other fork that goes that way." Mark said, indicating the fork he thought led to a garden.

Everyone began their tasks. Mark and the dwarves began to move up the path towards the main building. Emma disappeared up the path. Bluff ducked into a building ahead of Mark. He came out almost immediately.

Mark would never forget what happened next. Bluff had been facing him, just after stepping out of a building when his chestplate suddenly glowed a molten red. Mark hadn't seen it but the sudden change of hue was precipitated by a red flash in the sky. Bluff fell forward and mark saw a hole in his back. If he had been closer he would've seen that the wound was effectively cauterized.

There was a red flash in the sky and one of the dwarves fell. Mark and the remaining dwarf rushed for cover in one of the small buildings. Inside they found Robert.

"What's going on?" whispered Robert

"I'm not sure Bluff and his brother are dead." Mark said, pointing towards the dwarf. "Now, be quiet."

A short time later a figure began to move down the path from the main building towards the sheds they were in.

"If we rush him we can take him."

"No, if me and the dwarf rush him you can go find Emma." said Robert.

"I…"

The dwarf looked at him and said, "You go." Mark nodded.

The figure clearly held a sword. "Now!"

As the three exited the building, Robert and the dwarf charged toward the figure while Mark went the other way so he could circle the buildings and head towards the garden.

Mark turned his head while he ran. He saw the figures sword come up and block the dwarfs halberd while he dodged to the left. That the dwarf between him and Robert. Before the dwarf could turn the figures sword sheared his neck in half. Mark turned the corner and didn't look back.

* * *

He reached the garden and saw a hut. He looked around and could not see Emma. Then suddenly she was standing in front of him.

"What's happening?"

"They're dead"

"Who's dead?"

"Everyone. Bluff, the two dwarves, and probably Robert. We need to get out of here."

"What? All of them?" Her voice wavered slightly. "How many men do they have?"

"Just one. Maybe two."

"We-" Emma didn't finish her sentence because a red flash barely missed Mark's head.

The figure was upon them. Mark realised later that the only reason he had missed was that the figure hadn't stopped to aim. Emma brought up her sword, parallel to her shoulders and blocked the figure's overhead swing. Mark swung his sword at the figure who easily dodged out of the way. The figure took the sword in one hand and produced a dirk in the other.

Emma rushed in and locked blades with the figure. The figure brought his other arm, the one with the dirk, behind Emma and then put his foot behind her heel and tripped her. As she fell Mark rushed the figure, who dove to the side. Mark turned to meet its thrust as it rose.

Emma was rising now. The figure thrust its dirk at Mark's gut and as he moved to block the blow it brought up its sword and hit him in the helm, hard. Mark fell, head spinning. As he looked up Emma was holding her blunderbuss. The figure was holding a strange metal device that looked like a rifle.

The figure shot first. A red beam shot from the metal thing and hit Emma square in the chest. She crumpled over.

The figure turned to Mark, who was now struggling to rise, and held its metal rifle like a bat. It hit Mark over the head with the rifle. The world went dark.

* * *

Mark awoke in a cell. The walls and ceiling and floor were made of something that resembled stone. Suddenly Mark became aware of a figure sitting in a chair on the other side of the bars. His shirt was spattered with blood.

"Where are my friends?"

The man turned to regard Mark. "You don't remember? Well, Mark Curbin, you and your friends attacked my home. I killed your friends."

"How do you know my name?"

"There were portfolios on all of you in that truck." Truck? What was a truck? Did he mean the transport?

"Who are you? Why didn't you kill me?"

"I was watching when you came over the wall. You were obviously the leader. As for why I didn't kill you, I wanted to ask you why you attacked me. I want to know what your connections are to the cult of Night. But I'll ask later, after you've regained your wits. I've provided you food and water." The man walked to the metal door and the door opened.

"As for who I am, you can call me Mr. Sparrow."


End file.
